


there in ink (a promise)

by moth_writes



Series: doctrina dulcedinem [3]
Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: Adoption, Fluff, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-22
Updated: 2020-10-22
Packaged: 2021-03-08 19:08:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 463
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27151576
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moth_writes/pseuds/moth_writes
Summary: Renee is adopted.(Mildly introspective fluff. Standalone one shot-you don't need to read the others in the series to understand this.)
Relationships: Renee Walker & Stephanie Walker
Series: doctrina dulcedinem [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1355524
Kudos: 9





	there in ink (a promise)

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! I wanted to write about Renee, so I did. This was all because of one line that popped into my head while I was working on something else, so.

Natalie is cautious.

Not afraid, though it could be mistaken for that. She has seen things, _done_ things, far more worthy of fear than this.

And yet.

It is still there, woven through her and ingrained so deeply in her being she's afraid she'll never be rid of it.

She's nervous. Scared that Stephanie will turn to her, on her, will tell her it's all a mistake and she has to pack her bags and leave behind everything again.

Natalie pushes it down, bites at a scab on her bruise-cut knuckles. It tears away easily. She spits it out and licks the drop of rusted rich red that wells up.

Stephanie returns then, settling down next to her. She reaches, takes Natalie's hand gently at her nod.

Natalie looks, sees the careful, gentle way Stephanie cradles her hand as she dabs the blood away and smooths a band aid over it. She stuffs the wrapper back into her purse and doesn't let go.

If this were anyone else, Natalie would have long run. Would have cut her off and left, would have found somewhere to make herself a place.

She doesn't have to, though, because Stephanie made one for her. She doesn't have to claw her nails ripped and fingers bloody, because she found someone who made her a place, a home, someone who bandages her hurts and shows her faith.

Natalie thinks about that as she stares at their hands. Hers is still loosely clasped in Stephanie's, and the contrast of her pale, reddened skin with the dark smoothness of Stephanie's is striking.

Natalie tightens her grip. Stephanie squeezes back carefully.

When their names are called, they let go to stand. The chair was small and stiff and Natalie is grateful to be done with it.

They follow the woman who called them into a small room. Natalie both remembers and doesn't everything that happens next.

She remembers the cross necklace Stephanie presents to her, remembers how the cool metal felt against her skin when Stephanie clasped it for her.

She the feeling of a pen in her hand, how it glided against the page. She signed the name she and Stephanie had picked out a week ago for the first time, and it feels _right_.

She remembers, most of all, how it felt when Stephanie hugged her close and whispered into her ear how happy, how proud she was. A tear had dropped onto her shoulder, then, but that was all right, because they were happy.

Then they'd left, stepped out in to the bright sunshine of the afternoon.

And Natalie slips away. Renee leaves behind the past in a wash of sun and crosses and warm smiles, warm words.

Natalie slips away, and Renee is happy and whole and _here_.

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading! i'm also on Tumblr as trenchcoat-moth if you want to chat about fandoms!
> 
> please leave a comment/kudos if you enjoyed!


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